


The Tale of the Magpie

by Aquadestiny



Series: Tales of the Grand Magus [1]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Titan Fighting Fantasy
Genre: Family Issues, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Leaving Home, Magic, Magical Accidents, Minor Angst, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26492575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aquadestiny/pseuds/Aquadestiny
Summary: Selene Holzkohlebohrer is the daughter of a charcoal burner living near a small village out in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of the Flatlands of Allansia. She longs to learn magic, but lacks the means to do so as her family simply doesn't have the money and her father abhors all things to do with magic and the arcane. A chance encounter, however, might just present the opportunity she's looking for.
Relationships: Father-Daughter - Relationship, Lachlan Holzkohlebohrer & Rosalie Holzkohlebohrer, Teacher-Apprentice, Wizard-Familiar, mother-daughter - Relationship
Series: Tales of the Grand Magus [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1928695
Kudos: 1





	The Tale of the Magpie

The morning sun trickled through the gaps in the shutters, causing the young girl who was still asleep in the cot to squirm in an attempt to block the irritation. An older woman, the girl’s mother, sighed, tutted and then strode over to the window, throwing the shutters wide. Bright sunshine poured into the tiny room, causing the girl to groan defiantly,

“Mama, it’s too early!” she protested, trying instead to cover her face with her pillow. The mother took no notice and pulled the thin sheet off her daughter’s slim frame,

“Nonsense, Selene. It’s well past sunrise, your father, brothers and I have been up for hours already.” she stated, now turning her attention to picking up the books scattered on the floor. The stout woman studied the cover of the largest one intently for a moment, her blue eyes narrowing as she turned to the cot, 

“I thought your father told you to get rid of this.” she said. The girl peeked out from under the pillow, her green eyes squinting as she blinked the sleep from them,

“I need to see Nathanos to give it back.” she retorted, “S’not my fault I didn’t get to see him yesterday.” The older woman rolled her eyes, placing the book on the windowsill,

“Well, if you’d actually paid attention and did all your chores before dinner maybe you would have had time to take it to him.” she chided, “Now, up. We have a lot to be getting on with.” Selene made a face at her mother’s back, but dutifully swung herself off the cot and found a clean set of clothing and tied her unruly hair back. Her mother, in the interim, had gathered up all the bedding and was now bustling to the washhouse. Selene glanced forlornly at the book sitting on the windowsill before shaking her head and following after her mother. Now that she was ten, there was no time for such frivolity as reading or learning anything to do with magic. Not while there was work to be done.

“Sellie! Sellie!” a much younger voice chanted as Selene walked into the main living area, causing the older girl to smile as the chubby form of her little sister toddled up to her. Selene knelt and held out her arms, allowing the smaller form to collide with her and giggle,

“Good morning Coralie. Have you been a good girl for mama?” she asked, hefting the child up onto her hip and making her way out towards the washhouse. The little face nodded emphatically,

“Uh huh. I taked papa’s dink to him.” she said. Selene couldn’t help chuckling a little,

“I took papa’s drink to him.” she gently corrected, pushing the heavy door open, coughing as a wave of smoke and ash hit her in the face. She shielded the child in her arms as best she could and glared over to the figures of several men, who had just placed a large, heavy lid on the top of a large cauldron-like structure buried in the ground, from which a column of smoke was billowing,

“Stupid place to put the thing.” she muttered, “Not that father will listen to any suggestions to the contrary.” The girl sighed as she trudged across the courtyard to a much smaller building set next to the stream, trying to untangle Coralie’s hands from her hair.

The rest of the morning was spent rushing to and from the stream with buckets, scrubbing all the clothing and bedding until her hands were raw and trying to keep her little sister entertained and away from the banks of the stream while her mother set everything out to dry, swept up the courtyard and fed the few animals that the family kept.

“Well, well lookit that. The little bookworm knows how to keep a proper job after all. Didn’t think she had it in her to be a proper woman.” Selene looked up from scrubbing the last of the sheets to glare at the older boy standing over her,

“What do you want Rodulf?” she snapped, trying to return her attention to her work. The boy scoffed,

“Nothing really. I just wanted to know what all this was about.” he said, taking a small notebook out of the pocket of his trousers and waving it in Selene’s face. Selene’s head snapped up, her eyes going wide as she realised what her older brother held in his hand,

“Give me that!” she snapped, snatching to take the book, but Rodulf quickly pulled it up and away from her grasp,

“Ah, ah, ah. How long have you been studying magic behind father’s back exactly?” he asked with a dark smirk while his sister glared daggers at him,

“That’s none of your business Rodulf.” she growled, “Give me the book.” Rodulf shook his head,

“I don’t think so.” he replied, “Where did you even get the means to learn this stuff anyway?” he asked suspiciously. Selene puffed out her cheeks as she continued glaring at the older boy,

“That’s none of your business either.” she said in a low voice, “Look, what do you want?” she asked, glancing over to where Coralie was still sitting playing with a smaller tub filled with soapy water, paying absolutely no mind at to her older siblings. Rodulf followed her gaze, smiled more genuinely then looked back at Selene. He sighed,

“Look, you might as well give up on this. You know father doesn’t like magic to start with, and books are expensive. Besides, it’s not like you have any time to waste on this nonsense anyway.” He tossed the notebook to his sister, who deftly caught the item and clutched it to her chest. Selene heaved a defeated sigh and looked down at the washtub,

“I know.” she said, “I just wish I knew why father was so against magic in the first place.” Rodulf shrugged, his mousey hair falling into his face,

“I don’t think anyone but dear old dad knows and I’m not about to ask.” he looked out of the door to the washhouse and grimaced, “I better go, looks like we’re loading up another cauldron.” he said, turning to leave the little shack. Selene placed the notebook in the pocket in the front of her pinnie and picked the sheet she had been cleaning back up, a frown of confusion settling on her face,

“Why is father…?” she trailed off and shook her head, “Never mind, I need to finish this up sometime before lunch.” she stated, gesturing to the sheet, glancing over to make sure Coralie was still sitting where she had been left. The toddler was still happily splashing the water in the pail she had been given. She looked up at her older sister and grinned toothily,

“Look Sellie, Rodul, bubbas!” she giggled. Rodulf sent his youngest sibling a happy smile, waved and ran out of the washhouse. Selene nodded with a small smile before turning back to her initial task, chewing on her bottom lip nervously as the notebook in her pinnie pocket bumped against the tub.

~*~

The filling of a second cauldron meant that, for the rest of the afternoon, Selene’s mother had decided to give her daughter some time off. Just before Selene dashed back out the door to enjoy her freedom, Rosalie collared her, brandishing the book she had found that morning,

“Not so fast young lady.” she chastised, “The first thing you are going to do is return this and don’t even think about bringing anything else back with you.” she said sternly, placing the book in her daughter’s hands. Selene took the item, hung her head and nodded,

“Yes mama.” she said quietly. Upon seeing the look on her oldest daughter’s face, Rosalie sighed and knelt down so she was at Selene’s eye level,

“Look, I know this is something that you really want to learn about, but you know how your father feels about this magic business.” Selene looked up at her mother,

“I just want to understand why.” she said, “I mean, aren’t most of father’s customers wizards, or at least people who read and write with magic?” Rosalie shook her head,

,p> “It’s a complicated subject, dear.” she said, “I’ll see if I might be able to sort something out with your father. Maybe not anything to do with magic, but certainly something better than this.” she said, lifting Selene’s chin with a finger and gesturing around her with her other hand. Selene gave her mother a small smile,

“Thank you mama.” she said, wrapping her arms around the older woman in a warm hug, keeping a tight grip on the book in her hand. Rosalie returned the hug then gently pushed Selene towards the door,

“Go on before your father sees you with that.” she said. Selene nodded and dashed out the door, hiding the book with her cloak. She looked over to where her father and two brothers were loading the second cauldron, the two younger men hard at work while her father spoke with another gentleman that Selene recognised as the head woodsman and another, much older man who was heavily cloaked. Noting the look on her father’s face, Selene picked up her pace, heading along the old dirt track towards the Schreiber Estate, not noticing the large, ragged-looking raven that was watching her from a nearby tree. The bird blinked, cocked its head almost thoughtfully croaked quietly and hopped further up the tree, turning its head in the direction of the group of men animatedly debating around the charcoal cauldron. It cocked its head again, as though listening to something, croaked again then took off, following the red-haired girl.

~*~

Selene smoothed down her dress as she approached the gatehouse leading to the massive stately home. The guards on duty looked up and smiled as the young girl approached,

“Afternoon, Selene. What brings you all the way out ‘ere then?” the one on the left called, leaning lazily on his polearm. Selene held out the book she had tucked under her arm,

“I’m just coming to give this back to Nathanos.” she replied, “Is he home?” The guard on the right nodded,

“Give us a minute. The Master said he needed extra lessons, so I’ll go see if he’s finished for you.” he said, giving the young visitor a smart salute and hurrying through the gate and up to the house. Selene nodded to the guard that was left, sat down and promptly started reading through the only chapter of the book she hadn’t yet read. It didn’t take long for the guard to return, opening the gate with a wide smile,

“‘E’s just finishing up now, Sel. I’ll get you to the door an’ he can tell you all about what’s going on.” Selene looked up, flicking her hair out of her eyes,

“Thank you Frank.” she said, getting up, closing the book and dusting off her dress before following the man up the main pathway. Halfway there, a ragged looking raven landed on the grass to one side, catching Selene’s attention. The girl stopped and looked at the bird that was now staring rather intently at her. Selene frowned,cocking her head to one side,

“What’s the matter with you then?” she murmured, taking a step towards the old corvid. The bird blinked and hopped around her a couple of times before taking off to rest on the branches of a nearby oak tree. Frank, who had carried on walking in the meantime, stopped and turned back to his escortee,

“You coming or what?” He called. Selene continued to stare up at the raven for another moment or so before hurrying after the guardsman. Nathanos grinned as he saw Selene approaching. His father was also present, but standing further back. The older gentleman smiled slightly and bobbed his head in greeting,

“Good afternoon Selene.” he said, “I must ask you not to take too long with Nathanos. We’re expecting some rather esteemed company this afternoon.” Selene bobbed a short curtsey in acknowledgement,

“I won’t take too much of your time Lord Schrieber.” Selene assured him, “I am here to return a book that Nathanos let me borrow, at the behest of my father.” At this, Nathanos’ bright smile faded slightly, but he otherwise kept his composure as he took the book from his friend’s hands,

“I do hope it was helpful to you at least.” he said, “I know you were looking for something a little more challenging than the last one.” Selene nodded, her smile tightening,

“I managed to make some notes before my father found out I had it.” she replied, “I’ll make do with those for the time being.” Nathanos sighed, clutching the book to his chest and looked over to his father hopefully,

“Father, do you think…” trailing off as the Lord of the manor shook his head,

“I know what you are about to ask Nathanos, and I’m afraid that I must tell you no.” he said, his tone apologetic, “There is not enough time to send a message to our guest to ask him for one, and I doubt that he will be happy to interview two candidates at such short notice.” Nathanos hung his head, disappointed. Selene shook her head,

“It’s fine, really, I can make do. I’m sure I can find some other way to get a hold of the books I need” Lord Schrieber laid a hand on his son’s shoulder and nodded to Selene,

“If there was any way that I could help, I most certainly would Miss Holzkohlebohrer.” he said, “Please be assured that you are still welcome to visit when you have the time.” Selene curtsied,

“Your generosity is most appreciated Lord Schrieber, I will endeavor not to take up too much of your, or Nathanos’ time.” Lord Schreiber smiled and bowed his head briefly, then he gently guided a forlorn Nathanos back inside the manor. Selene stepped back as the door was closed. She stared at the wood for a second or two before heaving a defeated sigh and walking back down the path towards the gate.

The raven, which was still sitting in the tree nearby, blinked and cocked its head in an almost thoughtful manner as the humans below it conversed. When the young human female left, it clacked it's beak and took off in the same direction as the girl. It narrowed its eyes as it swooped down to a lower elevation, searching for where the girl had potentially put the notebook she had mentioned. Selene kicked at some of the stones on the path, grumbling as she made her way back towards home. While she did indeed manage to make some notes from the book Nathanos had let her borrow, it was not nearly enough to properly get her started. Heaving another sigh, the girl collapsed against a lone tree by the side of the road, taking the notebook in question from out of the pocket of her pinafore. She flipped to the most recent notes she had, picked up a stick and began lazily drawing out the circle she had inscribed into the dirt. Once she had finished, she flicked back to earlier in her notebook and read through what she had written as far as the very basics went. Selene’s brows furrowed as she scanned the text, muttering to herself as she looked over at her circle and back at her notes, quickly getting to her knees and scuffing out parts of her work and scribbling in other glyphs. From the closest available branch that was large enough to perch on, the raven watched intently, beady eyes pinning as it watched the girl rework the circle. It croaked in seeming satisfaction as it looked the new circle over once the girl below was finished. Selene sighed and pushed her hair out of her face, leaning back on her heels as she scrutinised the circle, looked back at her notes briefly, then back at the circle. Dusting off her knees as she stood, the girl picked out a pin from her hair and held it gingerly in her fingers. Biting her lip nervously, Selene stepped into the centre of the circle, checked her notes one last time, scrunched her eyes closed and steadied her breathing. The raven watched with interest as the circle lit up, it’s eyes glowing a faint blue-purple as it watched the whorls and eddies of magic coalesce around the young girl below it. Selene planted her feet more firmly and held out the hairpin,

_“Pelydr O Fellt!”_

she called out as firmly as she could manage. Electricity began to crackle around the tip of the pin, gathering into a small ball shape. Selene grunted as she tried to get the spell to cast in its entirety, but only succeeded in falling to one knee, the spell sputtering out before it could complete. Selene growled in frustration, punching at the ground and tried to stand once more, but quickly buckled and fell onto her backside. She buried her face in her knees with a defeated sigh,

“‘M never going to get out of here.” she mumbled dejectedly. Her brooding thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a sharp pain from her fingers. Green eyes narrowed as they caught sight of a familiar and somewhat raggedy raven staring at her. The bird croaked, hopped back a step and nudged an apple towards the girl’s feet,

“Good effort. Eat first. Try again.” it said. Selene stared at the bird, dumbly opening and closing her mouth a few times before finally finding her voice,

“You spoke.” she said. The raven almost seemed to roll its eyes before nodding,

,p> “Yes.” it confirmed, “Circle good. Eat. Try again.” It encouraged. Selene cautiously took the apple, rubbed the skin against her pinafore and took a bite out of it. She scrutinised the bird as she ate,

“I’m guessing that if you can both speak, albeit in a reduced manner to humans, and know how magic circles function, then you must be some sort of Wizard’s Familiar.” The bird nodded enthusiastically in response,

“Yes. Name, Greydown. Been watching.” Auburn brows furrowed at this,

“You were the bird in the path earlier…” she muttered, “So why were you following me exactly?”

“Master wants apprentice.” Greydown replied, “Talk to boy in mansion later. I hear you talking to brother. Wanted to see if really wanted learning.” he croaked. Selene’s heart skipped a few beats. She swallowed the last of the apple and looked to the circle,

“So this is my test then is it?” she asked, glancing to the raven, who shook out his feathers. Greydown nodded, then preened his feathers for a few seconds before speaking again,

“Need to see how powerful.” it added. Selene nodded in acknowledgement, stood up and firmly strode to the middle of the circle. She picked up the dropped hairpin and planted her feet firmly into the dirt. Greydown fluttered back up to the branch he had sat on before, “Confidence key.” he croaked, “If uncertain, no work.” Selene glanced up at the bird briefly, then relaxed her stance. She stared at the tip of the hairpin, willing the magical energy around her to gather there. The circle lit up immediately, but Selene paid it no mind, concentrating on the hairpin. The electricity crackled, sending out small bolts as it gathered into a ball at the tip of the pin. Selene frowned as she forced the energy to stay where it was, the girl starting to struggle to hold the spell in place. She took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on only the electricity gathered at the hairpin’s tip. Selene couldn’t help but grin as she felt the magic stabalise,

 _“Pelydr O Fellt!”_ she yelled, almost commanded. The gathered energy released into a, somewhat wider than expected, line of lightning, which immediately travelled to the closest thing it could ground itself against. A small rock, a pebble, really, that was sticking out of the dirt road just outside the circle. The resultant explosion that resulted from the electricity finally grounding itself threw Selene out of her circle with a huge thunderclap. The shockwave was even enough to knock Greydown off his perch, but the bird quickly recovered and looked down at the young girl he had been encouraging. Selene lay slumped against the trunk of the tree, her face, hair and pinafore blackened with soot. The raven fluttered down and placed his head against her chest. He croaked in relief when he heard the regular ‘thump, thump’ of her heart. That the girl still lived was a relief, but it was clear that she was not going to wake any time soon. Greydown shook his feathers in frustration as he realised he would need to send for some kind of help,

“Oh well, needs must.” he chattered, taking off towards the Charcoal Burner’s house.

~*~

Selene groaned as she came to, then hissed sharply as conscious reality decided to impose itself upon her all at once.

“Ah, you’re awake. Good.” an older gentleman’s voice stated, somewhere to the girl’s left. Selene squinted her eyes open as a weight settled on the edge of her bed,

“You gave yourself quite a nasty shock then bump to the head. It’s a good thing Ser Yastromo’s familiar was watching you.” Selene’s vision finally cleared only to find herself staring up at a portly Cleric of Pelor, who was sporting a rather substantial moustache. Selene winced and rubbed at her head,

“That would explain the head.... Wait… Ser Yastromo’s familiar?!” she squeaked as the Cleric’s words finally filtered through her foggy mind. The Cleric nodded,

“Indeed, he was just finishing up his business talks with your father when his raven came flying over, squawking and chattering about some kind of magical accident. Ser Yastromo called for my services and I was more than happy to oblige.” He squinted down at the young girl, concerned as she gripped at the sheet covering her, “Are you quite ok, my dear?” he asked. Selene tried to gulp down the fear that gripped at her throat,

“I wasn’t… my father…” she stammered out. The Cleric’s gaze softened as he laid a softly glowing hand on her shoulder,

“While your father is, understandably, quite upset about the whole thing. He is currently talking with Ser Yastromo about what happened.” he said, “For my own part, I have suggested that the shock itself and its consequences are more than punishment enough for apparently ignoring his wishes.” he added. He squeezed Selene’s shoulder and stood, “I’ll go and fetch your mother, she’ll want to know that you’re awake and are alright despite your little misadventure.” Selene nodded, the calming spell helping her to relax, even if only a little.

Once she was alone, Selene pulled herself to a sitting position and stared out of the window. Coralie was being distracted by Rodulf as the older brother chased the toddler sister around the stacks of wood. It seemed that while their father was talking to Ser Yastromo, Marc was in charge of the work that still needed completed. The girl started as the door squeaked open,

“It’s just me, Sel.” her mother assured her, wiping her hands on the front of her pinafore before striding over to the bed and bundling her daughter up in her arms. Selene tensed for a moment, but quickly relaxed into the maternal embrace. Selene finally allowed everything she had bottled up for the last ten to fifteen minutes out as she clung to her mother, sobbing out ‘sorry’s and ‘please don’t be mad’s in between hiccoughs. Rosalie shushed her daughter and ran her fingers through the somewhat matted auburn curls,

“I’m not mad, Sellie, dear.” she said, “I was just worried, but Father Velius said you’ll be ok and that’s all that matters.” Selene took a few shuddering breaths before finally finding her voice,

“What about papa?” she asked quietly, “I know Father Velius spoke to him but…” Rosalie shook her head and placed a gentle finger on her daughter’s lips,

“Let’s not worry about that until he’s finished talking to the Magus.” she replied, “I just want you to know that all your father wants is to make sure you’re safe.” Selene loosened her grip on her mother’s arm and glanced over to the door nervously,

“How long has it been?” she asked quietly. Rosalie glanced out at the sun outside,

“About an hour or so.” she replied after some thought, “Ser Yastromo’s familiar can fly incredibly quickly for a bird as old as it is.” Selene cracked a small smile,

“Familiars live a lot longer than other animals because of the magic, mama.” she retorted. Rosalie laughed,

“Well, that’s my new fact for the day.” she joked. Mother and daughter settled into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, until a cough from the doorway caught their attention. Lachlan stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and his expression neutral,

“Good, you’re awake.” he said gruffly. Selene shrank back slightly as her father entered her room and stood next to the bed, “Now do you understand why I never wanted you messing around with this magic nonsense?” he asked sternly. Selene hung her head and nodded,

“Yes, papa.” she intoned dejectedly. Rosalie looked up at her husband, saw the look on his face and nodded. She squeezed Selene’s arm as she got up,

“I’ll leave you two alone for the moment.” she said, giving her daughter an encouraging smile as the girl glanced up in mild terror.

As soon as his wife had left the room, Lachlan sighed heavily, ran a hand down his face and scratched under his beard,

“Oh, Selene, what am I going to do with you?” he groaned as he sat down on the edge of the bed, making it squeak a little in protest. He looked over to his daughter with a kind, if somewhat defeated expression. Selene relaxed a little, clearly what Father Vilius had said was true then. She shrugged slightly,

“Marry me off to some woodsman in the middle of nowhere I suppose.” she muttered, refusing to meet her father’s gaze. She never noticed the guilty grimace that crossed the man’s face, but she did feel the hand on her shoulder,

“Sellie, look at me, please.” Lachlan said. It was a tone of request, not demand, which made his daughter look up at him with confusion. The almost giant of a man smiled a little, “I’ve been talking to Ser Yastromo about what happened. Apparently he wants to have a little discussion of his own with you, but I just wanted you to know that I only ever wanted to protect you.” he explained, “Magic is incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands and so I projected too many of my own insecurities onto you when you started reading books on the subject.” He shook his head, “I can see now that it was the wrong approach and I cannot force you to give up something that matters so much to you.” Selene was silent while her father spoke, but she laid a hand on his arm. There were a few moments of awkward silence as Selene processed what her father had said. Finally she found her voice,

“I’m sorry too, papa.” she said, her voice tight, “I should have listened to you but…” she trailed off, unsure how to articulate her thoughts. She squeaked as she was pulled into a wordless hug by her father but gladly returned the gesture. Lachlan held his eldest daughter for more than a minute before he finally let her go. Selene quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve as she looked up at her father. For his part, Lachlan simply ruffled her hair, earning him an annoyed yelp as Selene tried, and failed, to push his hand away. He chuckled warmly at the pout on her face as the girl tried to undo the further mess he had created,

“Shall I ask Ser Yastromo to come back a little later so you can fix yourself up?” Lachlan asked, “I believe your mother will be more than happy to allow him to come to dinner, at any rate.” he added. Selene stared at her father, dumbfounded,

“You would eat… dinner with him?” she finally asked. Lachlan grumbled slightly but nodded,

“As much as I normally dislike Wizards and their company, his familiar did help to save you from your mistake. I believe I also mentioned that he wanted to talk to you himself.” Selene sent her father an incredulous look,

“And you’re willing to let him?” she asked suspiciously, green eyes narrowing slightly. Lachlan scratched at his moustache, almost embarrassed,

“Your mother may have twisted my arm.” he admitted. The man quickly regained his composure as he looked his daughter over again, “Regardless, Ser Yastromo said he had a prior engagement, but was willing to come back this way after he was done.” Selene couldn’t help the beaming smile that appeared on her face as she tackled her father and hugged him,

“Thank you, papa!” she squealed, causing Lachlan to wince a little at the pitch, but he returned the hug regardless. Once they had separated again, he gave his daughter a stern look,

“Just remember your manners. Ser Yastromo is a very powerful Wizard and I’m sure he has a lot to do.” Selene nodded,

“Of course, papa.” she agreed, practically leaping off her bed and skipping over to the chest that contained her best dresses. Lachlan heaved a sigh as he got up, glanced over to his daughter and shook his head as she tore through the chest looking for the perfect one to wear. He shook his head and ducked under the beam of the doorway and headed down the stairs towards the kitchen.

~*~

It was just getting on for dusk when Selene heard the knock at the door from the kitchen. She tamped down her nervous excitement and continued stirring the stew her mother had left in her care. She heard the muffled voice of her father greeting their guest, who responded in kind, catching just the barest glimpse of what appeared to be a simple, woolen robe swishing past the door. Rosalie popped her head into the kitchen, Coralie under one arm and resting on her hip,

“You can go and get washed up, Selene. I’ll get Marc to watch this little rascal while I finish cooking.” She said. Selene nodded, giving the fire a poke,

“Thank you mama.” she said happily, waiting the minute or so until Marc arrived to pick up the youngest child before scurrying past her family and rushing up the stairs to her room.

The girl startled as she opened the door, only to find the raven from before perching on the windowsill, preening its feathers. It looked up at her and blinked,

“Hello again.” it greeted, bobbing its head in what Selene assumed was a quick nod, or bow. She gave the bird a quick curtsey in return,

“I never got a chance to thank you before.” she noted, “But I am wondering what you’re doing in my room of all places?” Greydown shook out his feathers,

“Birds not welcome at human table.” he replied simply. “Your window open.” Selene snorted,

“Well, if you could please leave my room until I’m dressed, that would be appreciated.” she retorted, “It’s not exactly polite to watch a girl getting undressed.” she added pointedly. Greydown chuckled, whether in annoyance or amusement, Selene wasn’t entirely sure, but the raven bobbed it’s head again,

“As Lady wishes.” he croaked, quickly taking flight out of the window to, presumably, find a tree to perch in. Selene quickly pulled the shutters over the window and got washed and dressed as quickly as she could manage. Once she was sure she was ready, the girl bounded out of the room, only to return just as quickly and undo the latch on the shutters before skipping back out again. Rosalie smiled broadly at her daughter as she cautiously poked her head around the door of the little dining room and gestured for her to come in. Selene took a breath, dusted down the front of her dress and entered the room nervously.

In a chair on the left of her father sat an older man with long, grey hair and a beard (also entirely grey) that came down almost to his belt. He wore simple, grey woolen robes and a pair of spectacles perched on top of a rather bulbous nose. His eyes, however, were the most arresting feature as far as Selene was concerned. They were bright blue gems, but rather than cold and calculating, they shone with kindness and jocularity. Here was what was clearly a man of great learning, but instead of being aloof, this one seemed completely at home in his current surroundings. He seemed more like a kindly grandfather than a Wizard of Legend. Selene’s father looked up and nodded to his daughter, causing the Wizard to turn and look to her,

“Ah, hello there.” he greeted, his voice warm, “Young Selene I presume?” he asked, getting up and holding out his hand. Selene nodded and gingerly took the proffered hand, surprised at how gentle his grip was,

“Yes, sir.” she confirmed, adding a curtsey, “Thank you for accepting my mother’s generous offer to come for dinner. It is an honour to have you here.” she added sincerely, trying not to let her awe overcome her sensibilities. Ser Yastromo chuckled and placed his other hand on top of the girl’s,

“Oh not at all, my dear. The pleasure is all mine.” he replied, shaking Selene’s hand a little before letting go and gesturing for her to sit. “When Greydown explained what had happened to me, I knew I absolutely needed to meet with you in person.” Selene gave the Wizard a slightly questioning look and glanced over to her father, who jerked his head towards the older man with a meaningful glare. Selene met Yastromo’s gaze,

“I still need to thank you both for your help.” she said, “I do not know exactly what happened, but my parents explained that you were responsible for summoning the Cleric.” Yastromo waved his hand with a small laugh,

“Father Velius is an old friend and is always happy to help those in need. I was simply the messenger.” he replied. He looked down as Coralie gently tugged on the edge of his robe, having wandered over while Rodulf was momentarily distracted.

“Are you a gandad?” the youngest of the family asked, staring up at the Wizard with wide eyes. Lachlan made a move to try and shoo the little girl away, but Yastromo simply laughed and picked her up, sitting her on his knee,

“I’m not a grandfather. I never had any little boys or girls of my own.” he explained. Selene stifled a snigger as her baby sister pouted, processing this new information,

“That must be lonely. No little boys or girls at all?” Yastromo shook his head,

“None at all.” he confirmed. Coralie paused as she thought long and hard about all this. Yastromo kept quiet, giving the three year old all the time she needed. Finally the little girl beamed up at him,

“I know! You can be my gandad.” she exclaimed proudly, causing Lachlan to choke on his beer, her older brothers to stop serving up the dinner entirely, staring in shock at the audacity of their youngest sister and Rosalie to have to step back into the kitchen to burst into hysterical laughter. Selene, for her part, managed to stifle her own laughter enough to lean over and pick her little sister up,

“That’s not exactly how it works Coralie.” she said, sitting the toddler on her lap. Yastromo, who had burst into laughter, wiped a tear from one of his eyes and placed his spectacles back on his nose. He looked over to Coralie who was pouting in a sulk,

“While I am very grateful for your offer, little one, I’m afraid I must say no.” This earned the Wizard a look of severe disappointment, to which he gently held out a hand with a smile, “I’m a very, very busy man so I cannot visit you all the time like a grandfather normally would.” Coralie pouted some more,

“It’s not fair.” she grumbled. Yastromo smiled at her,

“I might be able to make a compromise, but I need to speak to your mummy, daddy and big sister in private after dinner first, ok?” Coralie nodded, still pouting,

“Ok.” she groused. She looked up to her sister, “Whassa compomise?” Selene sighed patiently,

“What’s a compromise.” she corrected, “And I’ll tell you after dinner. Go and sit in your seat like a big girl.” she said. Coralie sighed, but nodded and slid off Selene’s lap,

“Ok, Sellie.” she agreed, toddling over to her own chair, which was situated near enough to her father that Lachlan could help her get on. Selene didn’t quite manage to hide her surprise at her father’s lack of chastisement of her little sister, which caused Yastromo to frown slightly. Selene shook her head and took the bowl that Rodulf offered her. The older brother leaned over to his sister’s ear,

“Way to embarrass the family Sel.” he hissed, “You’re going to make a very poor mother with that lax attitude.” Selene, somehow, managed to keep her expression at least neutral, as she took the bowl and placed it on the table, not bothering to rise to the bait. At that point, Rosalie walked in with the pot of stew as Marc laid down the basket with the freshly baked rolls,

“It’s not much, Ser Yastromo, but I do hope it’s enough to fill your belly.” she said, placing the pot in the centre of the table. Yastromo beamed up at her,

“I much prefer my meals simple.” he replied, “This sort of home cooking is, quite frankly, my idea of heavenly.” Rosalie flushed a little at the compliment and bowed to the Wizard,

“In that case, please enjoy what we have to offer.” she said, expertly ladling a healthy portion into a bowl and handing it to the old man. Yastromo took it gratefully and waited patiently while the rest of the family was served.

Dinner passed with more laughter and joy than Selene could remember as Yastromo talked with the family about their lives and told some tales of his, most likely tamer, adventures. Even Lachlan seemed to enjoy the change to the usual dinnertime conversations, though he became evidently uncomfortable at the mention of magic on occasion. Eventually dinner passed and, for once, Marc and Rodulf were given the task of cleaning up and keeping an eye on Coralie while Lachlan, Rosalie, Yastromo and Selene retired to the sitting room. Yastromo politely declined the offer of a drink as he sat,

“I try not to drink strong alcohol too often, the lack of clarity is oftentimes quite dangerous in my line of work, but thank you for the generous offer.” Lachlan shrugged as he poured himself a large glass and sipped at it as he sat down next to his wife, with Selene sitting on the floor nearby, legs crossed. Lachlan was the first to speak up,

“Right, so onto business then.” he said gruffly, “You said you wished to talk to us about Selene, yes?” he asked. Yastromo nodded and leaned back in his seat, stroking at his beard thoughtfully,

“Indeed. As I explained to you both earlier, it is clear that Selene here appears to have a keen interest in the magical arts and, given what happened earlier today, has a keen enough mind to do so.” Lachlan sighed,

“Please don’t misunderstand Ser Yastromo, but I very much doubt that Selene would in any way be a good fit for that kind of life.” he said, “For one, while we have certainly taught her how to read and write as well as some basic mathematics, it’s only been enough to educate her how to run a family.” Yastromo raised an eyebrow and turned to Selene,

“Selene, would you please tell your father what you were doing before your accident?” he requested gently. Selene bit her bottom lip nervously, but nodded,

“I was trying to see if I could at least cast a simple cantrip that was in one of the books that Nathanos lent to me.” she explained, “But I thought frost wouldn’t really work too well because of how hot it has been of late, so I looked through the notes I’d made on the theory and changed it so that the spell would make lightning instead.” Lachlan frowned, his expression turning thunderous, while Rosalie simply looked at her oldest daughter in confusion. Yastromo held up a hand as Lachlan opened his mouth to yell at Selene,

“I don’t believe your daughter has finished her explanation.” he said simply, ignoring the outraged look on the charcoal burner’s face and looking to Selene, “So what happened after you made that decision, my dear?”. Selene glanced nervously over at her father before looking at the floor,

“I drew out the circle for a Ray of Frost in the dirt at first, but I erased some of the symbols and replaced them with the relevant ones to make lightning instead. I used one of my hairpins as a focus and tried to cast it.” she paused and looked up at Yastromo, slightly embarrassed, “I managed to create the lightning but…”,/p>

“So you lost control and shocked yourself silly because you didn’t actually understand to make it work!” Lachlan exploded, causing Selene to shrink back from him. She felt the room grow cold as Yastromo stood,

“Master Holzkohlebohrer, if you insist on this behaviour for much longer, I will need to ask you to leave.” he said, his voice quiet, “Your daughter has still not finished explaining exactly what happened. I would ask that you hold your own tongue until then or I shall be forced to do it for you.” he added sternly, never once raising his voice, but managing to compel Selene’s father to comply all the same. Lachlan spluttered a little as he sat back down, but said nothing more. Yastromo looked back to Selene and nodded,

“I apologise for that outburst, please do carry on.” Selene nervously scooted away from her father slightly before taking a shaky breath and carrying on,

“Yes, sir. I couldn’t actually cast the spell initially. It fizzled out before it would cast. I thought about just giving up at that point, but then this raven came along. It spoke to me, which was strange enough, but it also gave me an apple and implored me to try again.” Yastromo sighed,

“Yes, I still need to have words with Greydown about that.” he muttered, “He probably just wanted to see if you were at all capable of casting at all and just needed teaching or if it was a lost cause.” Selene nodded,

“That was my impression, So I ate the apple and tried again. I definitely managed to cast the spell on the second try, but I think the lightning grounded too close because I don’t remember anything after that.” Rosalie couldn’t help the squeak that escaped her, causing Selene to look over to her parents and scoot a little further away from her father as he turned to the Wizard,

“So it was your Gods damned raven that got my girl into all this trouble?!” he thundered, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t toss you out of my home right this instant!” he raged. Yastromo calmly met the man’s rage by simply sitting back down and gesturing to Selene,

“Because Selene here has now confirmed that not only does she know how to read and apply magic, as well as have an innate ability to cast, but that she is intelligent enough to know how to change a written spell’s properties without causing any issues in the spell’s matrix.” he replied. On seeing the confused look on his hosts’ faces, he smiled genially,

“In other words, Selene doesn’t just know to read and cast magic, but she has figured out exactly how to change a spell to suit her needs. All without having any formal magical training.” Rosalie was the first to speak, while Lachlan, mulled the Wizard’s words over,

“So you’re saying our daughter has a natural talent for magic?” she asked. Yastromo beamed at the woman,

“Not just just a natural talent, Mrs Holzkohlebohrer, your daughter has managed to do something that takes most other Wizards a decade or more to learn how to safely do. Just by reading the most basic books available to her.” Selene frowned a little in confusion,

“Is it really that difficult to do?” she asked incredulously, “It seemed simple enough to me.” Yastromo chuckled,

“Most people who start out as a Wizard’s apprenticeship need to be taught how to read and write the circles used to create magic from scratch.” he explained, “You appear to have a natural talent for it. Not only that, but given the sizeable explosion that happened when the lightning grounded itself, you’re also quite capable of drawing and holding enough magical power to make most other Wizards turn tail and flee in the other direction.” Lachlan turned to his daughter, his face draining as Yastromo’s words finally sunk in,

“So she’s a witch?” he asked plaintively. Yastromo frowned as he stared at Lachlan,

“Not at all, Master Holzkohlebohrer. For one it’s a very outdated term, and two; while Selene is obviously capable of casting magic, she is no Sorcerer. Believe me, you’d have known about it long before now if she was.” Rosalie sighed as she helped her husband into his favourite chair,

“So what do we do?” she asked. Yastromo looked back over to Selene, who was wringing her hands in her dress nervously. He nodded, more to himself than anything else,

“Well, if Selene would be willing, I can take her on.” he said, “I have been looking for a potential apprentice, but none of the candidates that actively applied have been what I have been looking for.” Lachlan frowned and pondered over the Wizard’s proposal, while Rosalie looked over to Selene with an encouraging, if somewhat fragile, smile. Selene, for her part, simply stared at Yastromo, not quite believing what she had just heard. Lachlan sighed,

“If you’re sure that you want to take her, you might as well.” he mumbled, “ Gods above, who knows what kind of trouble she’ll end up making for us if I refuse.” This earned him a hot glare from his wife, who promptly slapped him around the ear,

“For once in your life Lachlan, will you think about someone else other than yourself for a change?!” she snapped, “Here we have one of the most powerful people in the world in our sitting room telling us he wants our daughter as an apprentice. And you have the bloody gall to complain about the trouble she’ll make for you if you don’t let her?!” Lachlan yelped and held a hand to his ear while his wife turned to Selene,

“Don’t listen to your father sweetheart.” she said, her smile tight, “This decision, ultimately, is yours to make. Whatever you decide, I love you and will be more than happy to support you.” Selene didn’t say anything, she couldn’t. Instead the young girl threw herself at her mother and hugged her, tears falling down her face as she did. Rosalie hugged her daughter tightly and allowed her to calm down. After a few moments, Selene released her grip on her mother and looked up at her,

“Thank you, mama.” she sniffled, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her dress. Composing herself as best as she was able, Selene turned to face Yastromo, who was waiting patiently and leaning on his staff. The ten year old straightened her back and shook back her hair,

“I would be honoured to Apprentice under you Ser Yastromo.” she stated, pointedly ignoring the dismissive snort her father let out, “I know that I am from a humble beginning, but I can promise that I will work hard to become a Wizard that you can be proud of.” Yastromo smiled and nodded,

“The background matters not, child.” he assured her, “I have plenty of materials and books for you to make good use of. All I ask is that you listen, properly observe and work hard to do your best.” Selene curtsied,

“I will.” she confirmed. Yastromo’s smile widened and he gestured to the sitting room door with his head,

“Well, go on and pack some clothes to bring with you as well as any small trinkets you want to keep. Oh, and ask Greydown if he could go and ask Gerald Walters if he could spare a cart and pony would you?” he added as Selene ran to the stairs. The girl paused to listen to the second half of Yastromo’s request, nodded, then continued her race to her room. Lachlan huffed, sat down and looked up at the wizened Wizard,

“Until I get the money from my other customers I can’t be paying you.” he said heavily. Yastromo simply shook his head and took of his spectacles to clean them,

“I don’t believe any payment is necessary Mr Holzkohlebohrer.” he stated, “I came to Embertown looking for an Apprentice and I have found one. It is my firm belief that anyone who wants to learn magic should be able to, no matter their family situation.” Rosalie strode towards the old man and took his hand,

“Do take care of our little girl, won’t you?” she said, sniffling, “And please, I must insist that you at least take some of the leftover dinner with you.” Yastromo shook the woman’s hand with a gentle smile,

“Of course I will, and I certainly won’t turn down the offer of your excellent cooking. It will save us finding something to eat on the way to Wolftown.” Lachlan heaved a sigh,

“Well, I suppose that’s that.” he said, “I might as well go and tell the other children so they can at least say their farewells.” The burly man heaved himself from his seat and stomped through to the kitchen, muttering to himself. Rosalie shook her head,

“I’ll go and pack up those leftovers for you, Ser Yastromo. Please excuse me.” she said, curtseying before bustling after her husband. Yastromo sat back down again, grunting at the ache in his old bones and filled the bowl of his pipe while he waited.

~*~

It didn’t take long before Selene came back down the stairs, a small pack slung over her shoulder. Yastromo glanced up at her,

“Are you sure you have everything?” he asked. Selene nodded, some of her curls falling into her face

“Yes sir.” she replied, “I don’t have very much, and I told Greydown your message too. He wasn’t pleased, but he’s gone to do as you asked.” Yastromo chuckled,

“He’s getting a little cranky in his old age, you’ll have to forgive him for that.” he said, getting up from his seat. Selene nodded and hurried over to help the elderly man get up. He sent the girl a warm, fatherly smile, “Right then, since it won’t be too long before our transport gets here, I suggest you go and say your farewells to your family.” he said. Selene glanced over to the kitchen door, which was only just visible from her current position and nodded. She laid her pack by the front door as she walked through to the other room, only to be tackled by her little sister,

“Sellie no go!” Coralie cried, hugging Selene’s leg tightly. Selene picked the toddler up with a tight smile,

“I’m sorry Cora, but I have to.” she said, wiping the tears tracking down her little sister’s face, “Ser Yastromo is going to teach me lots of new and exciting things, and I need to go with him to do that.” Coralie sniffled as she leaned into Selene’s chest,

“Visit?” she asked, her voice muffled. Selene bounced the younger girl a little,

“I’ll see what Ser Yastromo says, but I’ll try to come as often as I can.” she said. This seemed to mollify Coralie slightly as she lifted her head and wiped at her eyes,

“Miss you.” she said. Selene kissed her head,

“I’ll miss you too.” At this point Rosalie took a hold of her youngest child and handed her a package,

“For you and Ser Yastromo to eat on the road.” she explained. She gave Selene a one-armed hug, “Take care of yourself and remember to do exactly as Ser Yastromo asks.” she said firmly, tears welling in her eyes as she let her elder daughter. Selene nodded,

“Don’t worry, mama. I will.” she replied. The tall and lanky figure of Marc was the next to approach her,

“Heard you’re off to become some big, powerful wizard.” he said with a big smile, “I knew you couldn’t settle for being a woodsman’s wife, you’re way too bossy.” he joked. Selene stuck her tongue out at him,

“Pot, kettle black.” she retorted, with a laugh, “Can you make sure mama and papa take care of themselves?” she asked. Marc nodded and gave a short salute,

“Yes, ma’am.” he said, leaning in to give Selene a hug. “You take care of yourself too, I want to be able to tell everyone in town that the most powerful wizard in the land is my little sister.” Selene laughed again,

“I promise, I’m not going to disappoint you there.” she stated. Letting go of her oldest brother, Selene looked around and only found her father coming in the back door, “Where’s Rodulf?” she asked. Lachlan sighed,

“He didn’t want to come.” he replied, “Said something about ‘not wasting his time on saying goodbye when she’ll be back in 2 months tops’.” He shook his head, “There’s something seriously wrong with that boy.” he muttered. Selene’s face fell a little,

“Oh.” she said quietly. Tamping down her disappointment, the young girl looked up at her father nervously, “What about you?” she asked. Lachlan sighed, strode over and hugged his little girl tightly,

“I might not agree with your decision, but i’m not going to stop you.” he said, “Just promise me that you’ll stay safe.” he said gruffly. Selene leaned into the hug and returned it,

“I promise, papa.” A gentle cough altered the family to Yastromo’s presence in the hall,

“Selene, our cart is here.” he said, holding out his apprentice’s pack towards her. Selene nodded, gave her mother and father a kiss on the cheek each and walked to the front door. Taking her pack, the young girl turned to the rest of her family (well, most of them) and smiled,

“I’ll write as soon as we get to Wolftown.” she said, “I’ll miss you.” she called. With that Yastromo opened the door and allowed Selene to exit first. He paused on the step a moment and turned back to the family, bowed his head to them, then clicked the door shut behind him as he and his new apprentice strode off into the great, wide world.


End file.
